Image pickup system with separable/attachable image pickup device and display device

Abstract

An image pickup system comprising an image pickup device including an image pickup element for pickup the image of an object and outputting image data, a compression encoding circuit for effecting compression encoding of the image data, a wireless transmission circuit for modulating the compression encoded image data and transmitting the data to a wireless transmission channel, and a first connector adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in detachable manner, to a display device for displaying the image picked-up by the image pickup element and to transmit the image data from the image pickup element; and a display device including a wireless reception circuit for receiving the transmitted image data from the wireless transmission channel and demodulating the image data, an expansion circuit for expanding the demodulated image data to obtain first image data, a second connector adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in a detachable manner, to the first connector and to receive second image data from the image pickup device, a signal processing circuit for selectively receiving the first or second image data and processing the received image data to output an image signal of a predetermined format, and a monitor for displaying the image signal of the predetermined format.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image pickup device comprising: image pickup means for pickup of the image of an object;   first compression encoding means for effecting compression encoding of the image data from said image pickup means with a first compression method;   second compression encoding means for effecting compression encoding of the image data from said image pickup means with a second compression method;   wireless transmission means for modulating first image data compression encoded by said first compression encoding means and transmitting the first image data to a display device for displaying the image picked up by said image pickup means, through a wireless transmission channel;   connection means adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in a detachable manner, to the display device for transmitting second image data compression encoded by said second compression means;   detecting means for detecting that said display device is connected to said connection means; and   selection means for selecting said second compression encoding means and providing said connection means with the second image data, in the case that the connection of the display device is detected by said detection means, and selecting said first compression encoding means and providing said wireless transmission means with the first image data, in the case that said connection is not detected.   
     
     
       2. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said first compression method is JPEG compression method and said second compression method is DV compression method. 
     
     
       3. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said first compression method is the MPEG compression method and said second compression method is the DV compression method. 
     
     
       4. An image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising control means adapted to detect that said display device is connected to said connection means, and, in response to said detection, to restrict the supply of power to said first compression encoding means and said wireless transmission means. 
     
     
       5. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said wireless transmission means is adapted to effect spectrum diffusion modulation on said image data. 
     
     
       6. An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said first compression encoding means is adapted to compress the image data by a thinning-out process. 
     
     
       7. A display device comprising: wireless reception means for receiving first image data from a wireless transmission channel, which first image data is compression encoded with a first compression method and modulated, and demodulating the first image data;   first expansion means for expanding the first image data received from said wireless reception means;   connection means adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in a detachable manner, to an image pickup device and to receive second image data from said image pickup device, which second image data is compression encoded with a second compression method;   second expansion means for expanding the second image data received from said connection means;   detection means for detecting that the image pickup device is connected to said connection means;   selection means for selecting the second image data from said second expansion means in the case that the connection of the image pickup device is detected, and selecting the first image data from said first expansion means in the case that said connection is not detected;   signal processing means for selectively inputting the first or second image data and processing said input image data to output an image signal of a predetermined format; and   display means for displaying the image signal of said predetermined format.   
     
     
       8. A display device according to claim 7, further comprising recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing the image signal obtained from said signal processing means on or from a recording medium. 
     
     
       9. A display device according to claim 8, further comprising: compression encoding means for effecting compression encoding of the first image data, obtained from said first expansion means, with the second compression method; and   a display device;   wherein said selection means is further adapted to select the second image data from said second expansion means in the case that the connection for the image pickup device is detected, and the first image data from said compression encoding means in the case that said connection is not detected, and wherein said recording and/or reproducing means records and/or reproduces said selected image data on and/or from a recording medium.   
     
     
       10. A display device according to claim 7, further comprising: compression encoding means for effecting compression encoding of the first image data, obtained from said first expansion means, with the second compression method; and   a display device;   wherein said selection means is further adapted to select the second image data from said second expansion means in the case that the connection of the image pickup device is detected, and to select the first image data from said compression encoding means in the case that said connection is not detected, and wherein said second expansion means expands said selected image data and providing said processing means with said expanded image data.   
     
     
       11. A display device according to claim 13, further comprising recording/reproducing means for recording or reproducing said selected image data on or from a recording medium. 
     
     
       12. A display device according to claim 7, further comprising control means adapted to detect that the image pickup device is connected to said connection means, and, in response to said detection, to terminate the supply of power to said wireless reception means and said first expansion means. 
     
     
       13. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said first compression method is JPEG compression method and said second compression method is DV compression method. 
     
     
       14. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said first compression method is MPEG compression method and said second compression method is DV compression method. 
     
     
       15. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said wireless reception means is adapted to demodulate image data subjected to spectrum diffusion modulation. 
     
     
       16. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said demodulated image data are image data compressed by thinning-out, and said first expansion means is adapted to expand said image data by interpolation. 
     
     
       17. A display device according to claim 7, wherein said signal processing means is adapted to output an image signal of NTSC system. 
     
     
       18. An image pickup system comprising: an image pickup device including;   image pickup means for pickup of the image of an object;   first compression encoding means for effecting compression encoding of said image data from said image pickup means with a first compression method;   second compression encoding means for effecting compression encoding of the image data from said image pickup means with a second compression method;   wireless transmission means for modulating first image data compression encoded by said first compression encoding means and transmitting the first image data to a display device for displaying the image data picked up by said image pickup means, through a wireless transmission channel;   first connection means adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in a detachable manner, to a display device for transmitting second image data compression encoded by said second compression means, said display device including wireless reception means for receiving said first image data from the wireless transmission channel and demodulating the first image data;   first detection means for detecting that the display device is connected to said first connection means;   first selection means for selecting said second compression encoding means and providing said first connection means with the second image data, in the case that the connection of the display device is detected by said first detection means, and selecting said first compression encoding means and providing said wireless transmission means with the first image data, in the case that said first connection is not detected;   first expansion means for expanding the first image data received from said wireless reception means;   second connection means adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected, in a detachable manner, to an image pickup device and to receive second image data from said image pickup device;   second expansion means for expanding the second image data received from said second connection means;   second detection means for detecting that the image pickup device is connected to said second connection means;   second selection means for selecting the second image data from said second expansion means in the case that the connection of the image pickup means is detected, and selecting the first image data from said first expansion means in the case that said connection is not detected;   signal processing means for selectively inputting the first or second image data and processing said input image data to output an image signal of a predetermined format; and   display means for displaying the image signal of said predetermined format.